Jeremiah 27 | Surrender to God

Jeremiah 27 Surrender to God
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In the pages of Jeremiah 27, we witness a gripping showdown between earthly wisdom and divine decree. As the prophet Jeremiah steps onto the stage in today’s Daily Devotional, he is burdened with a yoke around his neck, and his message echoes through the corridors of power. Amidst the bustling streets and the grandeur of royal courts, Jeremiah delivers a sobering truth: God alone holds the reins of nations, orchestrating their rise and fall according to His divine plan. To explore if we change God’s mind, read the Daily Devotional on Jeremiah 25 and 26.

Surrender to God

In the midst of political intrigue and human ambition, Jeremiah’s voice rings clear: surrender to the sovereignty of God, even if it means submitting to the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Yet, amidst this divine mandate, a cacophony of competing voices clamors for attention — advisors, prophets, and seers promising an alternative path.

The question reverberates through the ages: whom will the kings heed? Will they yield to the counsel of men, or will they bow before the Word of God? It’s a question as relevant today as it was in Jeremiah’s time. In a world inundated with voices vying for our allegiance, we are faced with the same choice: to listen to the fleeting wisdom of men or to anchor ourselves in the enduring truth of God’s Word.

Join us as we delve into the heart of this ancient narrative, exploring its timeless relevance and wrestling with the profound implications for our lives today. As we journey through the annals of history, may we find clarity amidst the clamor and choose to heed the voice of the One who holds the fate of nations in His hands.

In Jeremiah 27, will kings listen to their own counselors or the Prophet Jeremiah? Who do you listen to, the words of men, or the Word of God? Please read or listen to the twenty-two verses of Jeremiah 27.

Jeremiah 27 Commentary by Allen J. Huth

I will only refer to my 2016 journal in this devotion. I wrote concerning Jeremiah 27, “God is sovereign over all nations. He decides the fate of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Israel, Babylon. And Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant. Jeremiah alone is telling the truth. Everyone else is lying. How would you like to carry that message?”

In Jeremiah 27, God asks Jeremiah to act out another prophetic message. Verse 2 says, “Thus the Lord said to me: ‘Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck.’” My English Standard Version Study Bible footnote on that verse says, “Yokes were made of wooden bars affixed to the animal by leather thongs” (p. 1422).

Do you have a visual picture of Jeremiah walking through the town with yoke bars and straps? You can just see Jeremiah, with a yoke bar hanging around his neck, speaking to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, the king of Sidon, and the king of Jerusalem. What a picture we have, once again, of the Prophet Jeremiah. Here is the message he delivers to those kings, “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon” (vv. 5-6).

I guess that would have been a pretty difficult message for those kings to hear. But if they did not quite get it, Jeremiah goes on, “But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand” (v. 8).Jeremiah is saying, you have no hope. You must surrender to this king of Babylon, and if you do not, God is going to destroy you anyway.

He goes on to say, “So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish” (vv. 9-10).

Listen to the Voice of God

The question for those kings is the same question you and I have today. Who are we going to believe? Are they going to believe their counselors, their advisors? Or are they going to believe the voice of the prophet of Almighty God?

We have the same challenge today. There are many voices speaking into our ears. But there Is only one voice, like Jeremiah, a true prophet of God, speaking into our hearts. It is easy for us to listen to the words of men rather than the Word of God.

Prayer

Lord, help us be discerning people. Help us understand Your Word over the words of men. You say in the New Testament, Your sheep hear Your voice. May we hear Your voice and Your voice alone. Holy Spirit, help us tune out the noise of the world so we can hear the truth of Your Word.

Like in Jeremiah’s day, when we listen to You, we will be preserved. But if we do not listen to You, we could be destroyed or we could perish. Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth and away from the lies of this world. We ask it, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

We invite you to watch the “Great News” video on this page and find out more about God’s love for you and how you can receive forgiveness and eternal life – today!

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The Prayer of Salvation

Jesus, I don't know You, and I don't know what Your plan is for me. But thank you for coming to die in my place. I'm sorry for anything I've ever done wrong in my life. I don't understand how You could ever forgive me, but if You really would, I would like to accept your free gift of grace and complete forgiveness. Please come into my life and take control, and help me trust You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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